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First things first: Books

The very nice editor at Publishers Weekly came to the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes Spring lunch in New York and he brought me a book to read: Adam’s Rib by Antonio Manzini (Original Italian title: La Costola di Adamo). It is set in Aosta. Yes, Aosta. The main character Rocco Schiavone is complex and intriguing and I will happily follow him into future adventures.

My pal Glenn from The Book Barn in Connecticut rounded up some books I wanted, and pals Kate and Ed brought them to New York for me. These included several of the later Tony Hillermans. I had asked Glenn to find the books Tony had written after I left New York in 1987.

When I returned to Verona I had the need to go and live in those books for a while. I read The First Eagle, The Thief of Time, Sacred Clowns and Talking God. I really do love these books. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are people I like to be with. I like to be in the beautiful and strange landscapes that Tony describes so eloquently. I have a few more, but I will save those for another time when I am feeling nostalgic for Big Sky country.

People who have never lived on the Great Plains or in the desert really cannot understand the way such landscapes make a person feel. I’ll try to explain: you feel small and by feeling small you allow yourself to become part of a greater whole. Also what at first seems austere and arid is, on closer examination, juicily alive with beauty. In the plains and desert you have to really look and by looking you see worlds within worlds. Well, it seems I cannot express this concept as well as I’d like. All I can suggest is this: go to the desert in springtime when tiny red and yellow flowers sprout on the upturned arms of giant cacti OR stand in the middle of a vast wheat field that stretches right up to the flat horizon line above which is an equally vast blue, cloudless sky. Then think about how you feel.

April 22 THANK YOU, SUSAN

Susan H. takes Michael and me to dinner at the Vescovo Moro. The food was good, the wine flowed freely and the talk touched on some shared favorite things: old roses with heady scents, Indian and Asian spices, friendship, etc. A lovely evening.

April 10 to 13 VINITALY

Cristina from Zerbina

Yes, the world’s largest annual trade fair took place once again. I will spare you a long series of tasting notes. Instead I will just list the wines that Rang My Chimes. Suffice it to say, I recommend all these wines and the producers who made them. If you see the producer’s name on a wine list, buy the wine. You will not be disappointed.

There were of course many great wines at the fair that I did not taste for lack of time.

WINES THAT RING MY CHIMES

Fattoria Zerbina Sangiovese di Romagna “Pietramora” I tasted a flight of older vintages: 1990, 1997, 2004, 2007. Generally speaking, the wines were round, between velvet and silk, with an amalgam of fruit so firmly mixed that red berry and cherry fruits merge into one flavor.

I had a job to do during the fair: taste wines from South Africa for an Italian/English language website. I am glad this assignment came up because it is unlikely I would have taken a morning to concentrate on South African wines under usual Vinitaly conditions. There were some nice bright whites and rich reds. Producers I liked: Diemersdal, Idiom, Morgenster and Ayam.

April 1 through 7 NEW YORK, NEW YORK

I am indescribably happy to be in New York. Many of my dearest friends live here and things have been organized so that The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes will have their Spring Meeting during my visit. Hooray!

Things I did that gave me great pleasure (besides just seeing and talking to wonderful people whom I have known for decades):

I went to see the Broadway Musical Something Rotten. Fabulous choreography, great dancing, an appreciative audience, two songs that stick with you – who could ask for more.

Here is a link to the opening number: Welcome to the Renaissance.

My pal Randall (friend since college) took me to The Modern, the Museum of Modern Art’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Extraordinary interior design, excellent food and the service was perfection. It was so perfect that it was almost creepy – it was like being served by the Stepford Wives. I got used to that pretty quickly. Then we went to the Degas exhibit and selected paintings for our various imaginary country houses. Thank you, Randall.

After the ASH lunch I went up to Guy and Julia’s (she is Kate’s sister). We convinced Julia to show us some of her collection of around 100 hats from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.

Why I like the people of New York:

We went to the Transport Museum in Brooklyn. My pal asked the security guard if the museum had wi-fi.

He replied: “Why? If we had wi-fi everyone would be looking at their phones and not reading the display signs and not learning anything about their city.”

We went to a Cuban restaurant. I asked the waiter for a business card. He returned with a baggie containing two cigars and three boxes of matches with the restaurant name and address. (Havana at 94 Christopher Street havananyc.com).

Here is a quote from E.B. White’s Here is New York:

On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestow the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy. It is this largess that accounts for the presence within the city’s walls of a considerable section of the population; for the residents of Manhattan are to a large extent strangers who have pulled up stakes somewhere and come to town, seeking sanctuary or fulfillment or some greater or lesser grail. The capacity to make such dubious gifts is a mysterious quality of New York. It can destroy an individual, or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.

This was a month almost totally devoted to reading, writing and researching – my favorite activities! So wine tips will be mainly focused on the Bardolinos, Chiarettos and Luganas I tasted at the annual Anteprima event held in the lake-side town of Bardolino.

Once again, the Consorzio pulled out all the stops: the option of tasting on a boat (I preferred to taste on solid ground), an after-tasting event that included a band and cocktails (I went home to walk the dog), and the chance to taste some lovely wines.

And pride of place goes to a delicious Bardolino called Vintage, produced by the Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda. Why do I love this wine? Well, yes it is tasty but I will admit that I love the label. It would be a perfect wine for the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes. It was the last wine I tasted and a very nice way to end the event.

After putting in a hard day at the computer, I open a bottle of Villa Bucchi Verdicchio 2014. I will go on record as saying I adore Ampelio Bucci and I love this wine, and I have since I first tried it some 20 years ago. It consistently give pleasure. It is a wine where character and charm are perfectly blended. If you see Villa Bucci on a winelist order it. You will not be disappointed.

And what did I do besides read, write and research? I listened to music: Natalie Dessay (the Vocalises album) and Natalie Cole (the Snowfall on the Sahara album).
And Michael and I went to lunch with Susan H. at the Osteria Sottoriva.

A Memory of Professor EcoIt has taken me a while to come to terms with the death of Umberto Eco, whom I interviewed on September 21st of last year. I have never laughed so much while doing an interview. He told jokes while we waited for the elevator. He showed my husband and me his library, which – considering it consisted of over 30,000 books – was contained in every room in the apartment. “These are the Art and Architecture books. My wife is an architect,” he said, waving to a wall of books. “There is the philosophy section,” he said pointing to another wall. Here is a picture of Mr. Eco in his “fiction corridor. “These are German. These are English. Those American. Here are the Scandanavian…..” He told me it took around 6 years to write a novel. “So you must come back again when I am 90,” he said. I thought I would.

After I had finished my interview for Publishers Weekly about his new book, Numero Zero, I asked Professor Eco if I could interview him for my Sherlockian friends. He graciously agreed. That interview will be published in English in the Spring edition of the Serpentine Muse, the newsletter of The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes. An Italian translation will appear in the next issue of The Strand Magazine: Organo dell’Associazione Uno Studio in Holmes. This latter issue will be devoted entirely to Professor Eco.

Here are some quotes : “There is also another distinction to consider, the one between narrative and mythography. For example, The Three Musketeers is wonderfully written, with a jazz style. The Count of Monte Cristo, on the other hand, is terribly written: it is like a muddy, sludge-filled river. But it, too, manages to create a myth that everyone knows and that has been reproduced in many films and many other forms – theatrical, radiophonic, television, etc.”

“So, there are texts that, from the point of view of aesthetics, don’t amount to much and were perhaps only written for the money but they have the power to create a myth. I think Sherlock Holmes belongs to the classification: mythography. It is not as if the works of Sherlock Holmes are written in a sublime way – like Dickens. But they have created a myth that would exist even if the stories no longer existed. The Holmes stories are models of inductive reasoning and they are therefore very interesting beyond being mere entertainment. I don’t think that they carry with them great philosophical merit because the philosophy in which Conan Doyle believed was spiritualism – at night making little tables dance around.” Eco s fingers flutter as if distributing fairy dust.

This was taped to his office wall

I asked the Professor if he planned on writing more about Sherlock Holmes. “I have written about Holmes in many other books, not only in the Sign of Three. So I have written enough about him.” Eco leans back in his chair, in a contemplative mood. “If I were to belong to a fraternity of or sect it would not be that of Sherlock Holmes but rather Nero Wolfe.” He smiles, a glint of the exuberant zeal of a fan lights up his eyes. “I paid ten dollars to receive their newsletter.” His rumbling laugh fills the room. “I know all of the Nero Wolfe stories by heart!” Ah, spoken like a true fan.

Here is a link to the Publishers Weekly interview:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/68465-the-parasitic-press-umberto-eco.html

28 February Elena Gladkova in Verona
We met up with Russian film director Elena Gladkova. Here is a link to one of her films: the delightful Jazz etude 2014. The audio is music and ambient sound so don’t be afraid to watch it – you don’t have to speak Russian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBm4ItGEwvQ&feature=youtu.be

Stanley and I then set off for the Osteria Carro Armato to celebrate the birthday of Annalisa (the owner and my best Italian friend). Among the wines: a 1998 Fratta from Maculan. It was surprisingly fresh and complex on the nose and palate, touches of mint. “It went from being in Maculan’s cellar to mine here at the Carro Armato, so its storage conditions were optimal,” said Annalisa, when we began enthusing about its vivacity.

25 February Amarone A-Go-Go at Villa de Winckles
Villa de Winckles (www. villadewinckels.com ), a hotel/restaurant in the Illasi Valley, organizes wonderful tastings. Tonight there were over 60 top notch Amarone producers on hand. I will admit that I did not try all 60 – I am only human. But of the 40 I did sample, here are some of my favorites (in no particular order).

We went to Faenza, a town world famous for its museum devoted to ceramics, for one of my favorite annual events: the tasting of Sangiovese di Romagna. Year in and year out, my top producers at this event remain Fattoria Zerbina and Dre Dona.

Fattoria Zerbina: Cristina Geminiani makes consistently outstanding wines – juicy, elegant and long-lived. If you see a Zerbina wine on a list – buy it. There is simply nothing else to add. Here is a photo of Cristina in her caffeine molecule earrings.Dre Dona: when I taste these wines and immediately think of all the ways they can be paired with food.

A New Entry at this tasting was a wine called Famous…because it is made from an local indigenous variety that goes by the name of Famoso (aka Uva Rambela). It is produced by the Romagna winery Santa Lucia (http://www.santaluciavinery.it ). This vibrant white wine has a finely-knit texture, with touches of sage and mint on the nose and palate.

The label is particularly attractive and I asked Paride Benedetti, owner of S. Lucia about it. “I was in Austria and my colleagues took me to the Klimt museum. And there I saw The Kiss for the first time. I stood in front of it rapt. I looked at it and saw grapes. So I brought my graphic designer to the museum and said: that’s what I want.”
The wine has everything, a good story, an original flavor…and its organic!

The town of Faenza was also hosting an art exhibit featuring cat-themed ceramics, paintings, tiles and dolls. It is held every year because – as I was told – February is Cat Month.

30 January Amarone A-go-go, Alfonso and Libre!We go to the annual Amarone panel discussion and tasting. One of the speakers says: “Amarone is wine for all kinds of foods.” I roll my eyes toward heaven and groan. Amarone is NOT a wine that is easy to match with most daily meals. People don’t eat great chunks of meat that often anymore. Nor do they want 14, 15 or even 16° alcohol at lunch most days. Amarone is a great wine; I really can’t understand why there is a push to make it small. Forgive me but I think of that Norma Desmond line from Sunset Boulevard: “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

We met up with Alfonso C. at the tasting and he kindly invited us to lunch, during which we had a good old gossip and grouse and a decent piece of fish.

I go to Libre! (www.libreverona.it/progetto/) to talk to Lia Arrigoni about books. Here is a photo of Lia (with wine) and Stanley (with charm).

25 & 23 Proposta Vini (www.propostavini.com)Federica S. whisks us out to Bussalengo for the annual Proposta tasting. There is a seminar on Riesling, with several Austrian examples for tasting.

Riesling used to be lumbered with the word “petrol” when it came time to make a tasting note. But the wines I tasted today were fresh and pure, with a fruit that might be described as an amalgam of apricot, white peach and a touch of Bartlett pear. My three favorites: 2013 Riesling Riserve Kellerterrassen from Hermann Moser, 2013 Riesling Reserve Heiligenstein from Topf and 2013 Reisling Preussen from Fuhrgassl-Huber.

“Austria is like Portugal,” says Michael. “They make really good wines but no one talks about them very much.”

At dinner the nice producer from Vadiaperti brought out a bottle of his 1994 Fiano di Avellino. Excellent, compressed fruit. Texture like raw silk. Pure firm fruit on the nose, a slightly smoky finish. I subsequently tasted the 2014 version. Lovely style.

The wine among the hundreds available at the tasting that gave me the most pleasure was the 2012 Riserva Rabaja Barbaresco from Castello di Verduno. One sip and I felt that I had suddenly stepped into the world of Fine Wine. Fine Wine used to be a term that denoted exceptional quality and elegance. It has fallen from use like the word breed. Michael Broadbent defines this term as: “An abstract qualitative term. A fine wine of good pedigree should display breed.” Oh, I miss those old tasting terms sometimes.

We ended the tasting with some superb artisanal beers from Giratempo (www.giratempo.it) . The grape Ale made with a small percentage of Moscato, was refreshing and appealing. All the beers we tasted were well balanced and elegant.

21 January Plumbing the Depths
The plumber came to sort out our ancient, rotting pipes under the kitchen sink. He was a nice man who swore at the pipes for a solid 5 hours. Porca Troia! (Pig Whore) I needed something to read in order to defend myself from listening to Italian cussing. The only book in the house that I hadn’t read for a while was the (4 vol. ) complete Shakespeare, and I will admit that I had never read the introduction – until today. It was written in the 40s and had that slightly stuffy university professor lip-curling sneer to it. By that I mean he put down all the other scholars who had – of course – gotten the facts completely wrong…
We finally have hot water in the kitchen. Hooray!

14 January Another life I might have livedI just finished reading Tony Hillerman’s autobiography, Seldom Disappointed. It stirred memories. I met Tony when he came to New York to promote one of his first novels. He was a very nice man and I enjoyed his detective novels that are set in the American Southwest and featured Indian/Native American protagonists, Joe Leaphorn and Jimmy Chee. These books made me nostalgic for the wide open spaces of my youth.

I subsequently wrote to him saying that I didn’t know if I wanted to stay in New York and was toying with the idea of moving to New Mexico. I arrived in Albuquerque and he kindly took a day to show me around. We drove up to Santa Fe, a wonderfully odd town that I could have been happy in. We talked about books and writing and life. He also told me that should I decide to move there I would be welcome at a writers’ group he belonged to.

I returned to New York after a few days…and life progressed as it did. But reading his autobiography made me think of all the “alternate” directions my life could have taken. Not because I am unhappy with where I am now. In fact I love where I am now. But every now and then it is nice to be reminded that your future is being decided every day.

For Sherlockians I was also warmly welcomed by John Bennett Shaw while in Santa Fe.

13 January What do you do with a wine that is too sweet?
A very nice producer – unbidden – sent me some samples of his Proseccos. I opened one labeled Brut, thinking that it would indeed be on the dry side. That way I could taste the wine, write a professional note and then enjoy a glass with my lunch of spaghetti with shrimp and mussel sauce. I poured a glass. Because the word “Brut” had set up expectations in my mind, I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming sweetness of the wine. Let me say that the wine was well-made, there were no faults in it. However, it was nowhere near dry. What to do? I couldn’t drink it. You can’t give an opened bottle to Italian friends (US and UK pals would have no problem accepting decent free vino). I hated to pour it down the sink. I already had a sweet wine open for cooking. The answer came to me in a flash: Jello! Yes, I bought some gelatin leaves and used the wine as the base liquid.

6 January I love Chievo FansWe go to the clubhouse of our soccer fan club. Today Chievo is playing Roma, and our fan club has invited a Roma fan club to lunch. When the Roma contingent arrives, they are applauded by the Chievo fans. I felt a melting kind of love for everyone in the room; I appreciate good sportsmanship – and Chievo fans and players have that in spades! There was the ceremonial exchange of gifts. Roma brought hams and cheeses and calendars featuring soccer players. Chievo had the usual hamper filled with cakes – the owner of the soccer team also owns a well-known cake factory.

Here is a poem I wrote on a napkin during the event. It scans but does not rhyme. It sounds like extended hiku.

Wine in unlabeled bottles
Poured into clear plastic cups
Disco music fills the room
The Village People live on

At the Chievo Fan Club

2 Januay Sherlockains in VeronaGuy Marriott, his wife Liz and their pal Shelia came to Verona for a visit. Guy is President of the Holmes Society of London and we had been scouting opportunities to bring a group of English Sherlockians to Cremona to visit the Stradivarius museum…and have a private concert performed on historic instruments. Alas, the majority of the group lacks the desire to make this little detour to Cremona during their journey from Reichenbach Falls to Florence. Michael had even lined up a Mostarda producer who agreed to come to Cremona for a tasting of her wares. Oh, well, mustn’t grumble. Maybe some other time. Should any other intrepid Sherlockians wish to “do” Cremona, drop me a line.

28 December HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINEMAEvery year on this date our pal Ugo celebrates the birth of cinema by showing a silent film. This year it was D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance. This three and a half hour epic was projected in a deconsecrated and unheated church in the center of town. Around 30 of us sat on metal chairs in our coats and hats. The film was indeed wonderful. However, I tolerated only an hour and a half of it, I was driven out by the cold. Michael to enjoy it to the bitter end.

Christmas Eve at Ugos
Every Christmas Eve and many an evening in between we climb the six steep flights of stone stairs, worn soft and smooth by hundreds of years of treading, to dine, drink, laugh, play silly games and argue at Ugo’s small apartment on the top floor of a building in the centro storico. I am grateful that our social life revolves around Ugo and his kith and kin.

17 December BLACK IS BLACK, I WANT MY COLOR BACK!
I went to a spiffy do at the Due Torre Hotel – an event celebrating the restoration of some circus-themed frescos from the 1950 by a local artist. There were circus performers from Verona’s circus school, decent eats…all very nice. BUT every single woman (but me! And my pal from down South) wore black. Once again, I am not talking about an Audrey Hepburn Little Black Dress black. Rather it was light-sucking black in baggy, body covering shapes.

I, of course, wore red.

“In Verona all women wear black to evening events,” said my pal from Southern Italy, who had some nice vivid blue (on a field of black) patterned top.

I thought: I have been to swankier events in New York, London, Paris, Florence and Milan…and in those places women choose dresses to match their skin tones and personal style – daffodil yellow; shimmering, smoky silver; emerald green. I find it so depressing to be in a room filled with black. Life is full of color!

16 December A BOOK PRESENTATION WITH A SIDE ORDER OF SPAGHETTI

TIP: Don’t present a book in a venue where the main event is eating.

The 30-some people dining in the back room at Scapin’s were polite to me but a book by a funny foreign lady didn’t stand a chance against spaghetti with duck sauce. The owner of the restaurant is a very nice man and he asked for a book to put on the shelf in the restaurant. Bless him. The wines were provided by clever Francesca Salvan. They were fragrant and juicy. If you ever find yourself in the Colli Euganei I would urge you to drop by the winery. Her family is truly geared up to accept visitors.

12 December LUNCH AT VILLA WITH THE GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously)Susan H., Clementina P. and Michael and I enjoyed a merry lunch at the Villa Estate in Franciacorta. We look forward to this annual event. Yes, the photo is out of focus but I believe that helps capture the tone of the day. Oh my but we laughed! The fabulous earrings I am wearing, by the way, are a gift from Roberta Bianchi, whose family owns Villa.

4 December AROUND THE WORLD
By chance (OKAY, I’ll admit it: I was Googling myself), I came across an article in an Indonesian publication about Number Zero that mentions my interview with Umberto Eco in Publishers Weekly. It’s amazing how this interview is being picked up and sent around the world.

2 December MARINELLA CAMERANI OF CORTE SANT’ALDA AT THE CARROARMATO
Marinella, owner and winemaker of the Corte Sant Alda estate in Valpolicella, lives life on her own terms and makes wines just the way she wants to, without concern for fleeting trends. Her estate is certified organic and biodynamic – she produces Italy’s only biodynamic Amarone. She was as entertaining as ever at tonight’s tasting. I like her because she just says what she thinks – no mincing words for Marinella. We also had our wedding reception at her wine estate and our dog Ed is buried there. So, I admit to being partial.

1&2 December Wine2Wine
We went to a two day marketing/networking fest for people in the wine trade. On both days 90% of the women wore black. I don’t mean Audrey Hepburn chic black enhanced by diamonds and elbow length gloves. I mean life and light sucking black. In the two days I counted only 10 women who were not in black…they were in dark brown, grey or beige. Yikes! The world needs color!

First, as always, books by friends: Killed in the Ratings by William L. De Andrea. This was his first novel and won The Edgar (The top award from the Mystery Writers of America).

I met Bill at an MWA cocktail party in New York. He came over to me and said: “Look around. We are the only two people in this room who are under thirty. Let’s blow this pop stand.” And we did. We went to a diner for burgers and then to a movie. He was a witty and kind man, who died much too soon (aged 44).

Re-reading this book made me nostalgic for a world where the memory of elevator operators in posh buildings was still green and payphones were on every corner. Cellphones that do everything have certainly made it more difficult for mystery writers today. An entertaining book. I plan on re-reading his other novels.

30 November Cooking at San Mattia
We set off for Corte San Mattia Agriturismo (www.sanmattia.it), Giovanni Ederle’s lovely restaurant and hostelry. The view from the terrace is stunning. If you want an agriturismo holiday, this is the place! We are here for a cooking demonstration and have brought Stanley, who behaves impeccably. He spends some time sniffing the Agriturismo Dog and inviting her to play. She sits like a rock, aware of him but uninterested in the jumping, leaping, racing around play that Stanley has in mind.

What I learned: If you want to peel onions without tears either hold the onion under hot water before cutting or wear sunglasses.

29 November Go ChievoWe head out for Montorio and a big pre-game lunch organized by our soccer fan club (Chievo is Life) for three Udinese fan clubs. Chievo will be playing Udine this afternoon. “May the best team win,” says a Chievo fan across from me. This is why I love Chievo – the players and followers are so nice. Along with the 220 sports fans there is a crew from the RAI (the Italian National television company). Stanley – decked out in his Chievo scarf – is a big hit with them. We hope he makes the Dominica Sportiva program tonight.

27 November Golosario A-go-goWe make our way to the La Collina dei Ciliegi winery (www.lacollinadeiciliegi.it )to attend a presentation for the annual Il Golosario guide, compiled by Paolo Massobrio. (www.ilgolosario.it ) The book has over 1000 pages and is chocked-full of information about some of Italy’s best food and wine producers. A few of them were on hand, showing their wares. I cannot even begin to convey the purity of flavors on offer. Among my favorites were B73, a maker of organic jams, sauces and liquors; Az. Agr. Vallier, makers of an array of products based on walnuts and La Giardiniera di Morgan – I have never tasted such fresh, crisp vegetables preserved in white wine vinegar. I could go on and on. If you are in Italy and you want the best local products The Golosario guide is for you.

By the way, I tried the Il Corvino 2014 from La Collina dei Ciliegi and found it fresh, fruity easy-drinking. The price is right too. Around a tenner.

I spotted a pleasant looking man heading for the door and asked him for a ride down the hill to Grezzane, where we could catch the bus. When he found out that our final destination was Verona, he very graciously offered to take us there. During the ride we found out his name was Savino Poffa and he owns Trattoria Urbana Mangia Fuoco in Brescia. (www.trattoriamangiafuoco.it ). Around 15 years ago he and some friends started an organization to save racing greyhounds called GACI, which stands for Greyhound Adopt Center Italy. (www.adozionilevrieri.it.)

“The dogs were kept in cages and only let out to run. When their racing days were over they were put down. So the average life span was around 4 years. My Josie is 15,” says Savino, referring to one of the dogs he adopted. “She is a wonderful dog. Sometimes she comes to work with me.”

25 November Zanoni at the Carroarmato.We are the Carroarmato (www.carroarmato.it ) for a dinner and tasting of Pietro Zanoni’s Valpolicellas (www.pietrozanoni.it) Our Pal Ugo is the moderator and Graziano Guandalini (www.grazianoguandalini.sitiwebs.com) masterfully plays the upright piano.

I ask Pietro: “What’s new?” He replies: “I’ve got a cat. My daughter named it Tito. I’ve never had an indoor cat. It sleeps on the bed!” He says this last bit with real wonder in his voice.

Annalisa, the owner of the Carroarmato, is a great fan of Pietro’s Valpolicellas. She likes their fresh, direct style.

Tonight we taste 4 vintages: 2013, 2011, 2009 and 2007. All were fresh and firm. My favorite of the evening was the 2011. It has a rich undertow of ripe fruit, with an almost orange-zest sensation. A very, very nice wine. Michael describes it thus: “Like the pages of an old book…the smooth texture of a well-read book.” I feel I have infected him with my bookishness.

23 Durello in MilanI am up at 6 a.m. to walk the dog and get some work done before heading out on the Soave Bus that will take us to Milan for the Big Durello/Sparkling Wine tasting.
We arrive. Susan H. and I have a productive meeting, kicking around some ideas for a mutual project. Then off to the tasting. We sit through the press conference. A representative from Euposia (www.euposia.it) says he will announce the winners of the Euposia mega sparkling wine tasting, at which I was a judge. However he does not reveal all the winners. But we do find out the winner in the White Sparkling Wines made from Indigenous Varieties category is – a Durello. This makes everyone very happy.

The winning wine is from Sacra Mundi. It is fresh and clean, with a pleasingly tart flavor.

A Durello/Durella Lesson:The grape name is Durella but wine made from this grape is called Durello. This is due to the fact that the Italian word for grape (uva) is feminine and thus ends in an “a”, while the Italian word for wine (vino) is masculine and thus ends in an “o”.

The name of this very vigorous vine is derived from its tough (dura) skin. Its most important DOC zone lies in the Lessini Mountains in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza, north of the Soave zone. It is grown specifically in mountain sites on soils of volcanic origin.

Lessini Durello is a light dry white wine with a minimum alcohol level of 10%. When it has an alcohol level of 11% it can be labeled “superiore”. This grape’s high acidity makes it ideal for sparkling wine production. Lessini Durello Spumante is rapidly becoming the aperitif of choice in Soave and Verona, where it is served with fairly fatty goods, such as cheese and salami.

The Durella grape can only be found in the wines of this region, and may be used as a lesser components in Breganze Bianco, Gambellara and Lugana.Lesson Over

At around 3 p.m., I have tasted what I want to taste. I go sit in the foyer and read a battered paperback copy of Agatha Christie’s The Clocks. Aldo, the director of the Durello Consorzio comes up and says: “Patricia, you are always reading books that are un po ossidato (a little bit oxidized).

At 4 p.m. I take a 10-minute stroll to the train station and head for home, leaving Michael to hang around for the prize giving.

18 November The Week and Beyond….My interview with Umberto Eco was cited in The Week Magazine. They used one of my favorite quotes: the one about Dan Brown. Hip, hip, hip hooray.

The set up and Dan Brown quote: Foucault’s Pendulum is about three waggish publishing employees who, having read far too many manuscripts about crazy theories, decide, as a game, to make up a conspiracy theory of their own, in which they link the Knights Templars to practically every occult manifestation in history, and suggest that the Templars are destined to take over the world. The trio soon find themselves in fear of their lives, threatened by a secret society which has taken their game all too seriously.
“It was I who invented Dan Brown, he was a character in that book,” says Eco, laughing.

November 12 and 13 Euposia Sparkling Wine tasting

Beppe G. picks me up at the bridge and whisks me off to The Aqualux Hotel in Bardolino (www.aqualuxhotel.com ) for the annual Euposia mega-tasting of Sparkling Wines from around the world.

I am one of 21 judges. Each of us has our own table. There is total silence and the sommeliers are efficient. The wines are tasted blind. (That means that the identity of the wines in the glass are not revealed to the tasters.)

Day One we tasted 91 wines. The overall quality level was high. However, I sometimes found myself writing “a bit dull but without faults”.

THEN Day Two, the second wine (number 202) was poured. I put my nose in the glass and every atom in my body buzzed. YES! EUREKA! From the first sniff the quality was clear. Fresh, vibrant, fragrant. The palate followed the nose. I put the glass aside and warned the sommeliers not to take it away.

I kept it for 2 hours while going through the rest of the wines (there were around 70 for Day Two). Sample 202 stayed firm and fresh and appealing. I wrote “I love this wine.” on my tasting sheet.

After some unseemly begging and whining on my part I finally got the organizer to tell me the name of the wine. However, he rightly insisted that he would tell me only after all the tasting sheets had been handed into the invigilator and the results had been put in the computer. It was a Champagne Jacquart Mosatique Brut. Oh, I hope it gets a prize.

12 November My Dog Ate It.There is a happy ending to this. I took the nibbled note and the nibbler himself to the bank and they gave me a nice new 50 Euro note. And I have learned to put my purse on a higher shelf because I now know that my dear little Stanley can open zipper pockets

November Happy Birthday to Michael
We celebrate at the Osteria Vecchia Fontanina www.ristorantevecchiafontanina.com The food there is excellent. The service friendly – and they like Stanley.

This book was conceived in an elevator in Singapore. I was there to participate in a mega-tasting – wines from around the planet in a vast multistoried venue. I was standing in front of an elevator, the doors opened and there was Frank Zanovello, one of my favorite wine producers. On the ride up we groused about how difficult it is to sell wines from the Colli Euganie abroad because people outside Italy are afraid to pronounce the name. It is eh (as in pen), oo (as in too), gah (as in father), nay (as in say). Eh.oo-gah-nay. By the time we reached our vertical destination it was decided that I should write a book about the zone. I have always found the Euganean Hills beautiful and strange an quite unlike any other place on earth. So I was delighted to investigate further. For a couple of years I made regular trips there gathering information, interviewing people, tasting wine, visiting restaurants. And then the funding for the book wandered away. I finished the manuscript and put it in the box under my desk, the resting place of good ideas that have passed away. Six years later, I received a phone call from Franco telling me that the Strada del Vino of the Collie Euganei was looking for a 2015 project. Bim-bam-boom. The manuscript became a book.

UMBERTO ECO interview up on Publishers Weekly. I have never laughed so much during an interview. He told jokes as we waited for the elevator, he let me touch his incunabula….I think I am in love. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/68465-the-parasitic-press-umberto-eco.html

Nice quotes from my TIM PARKS interview that I was unable to fit into my piece for Publishers Weekly: “Obviously I was aware of people like [Patricia] Highsmith. I admire her a lot but I always thought that the [Ripley] books could have been much funnier. You could see that she just didn’t do humor. And Italy always seems to invite humor. Either humor or desperation because you can go crazy in this country quite easily, particularly if you have to get something done.”

“Crime and Punishment was another book that I think could have been so much funnier. You feel you are morally superior to these people so why not.”

THE POWER OF BOOKS: I was chatting with Antonio Cesari from Brigaldara (www.brigaldara.it) about fictional characters who inspire people to put them into a real context. Romeo and Juliet, Sherlock Holmes and…Mary Poppins. Antonio told me that when his brother went to London for the first time he walked around every single park in the city looking for Cherry Tree Lane, the location of the Banks’ residence.

A few days later, I happened to pick up The Collected Essays of Graham Greene. Here is a quote: “Perhaps it is only in childhood that books have any deep influence on our lives. In later life we admire, we are entertained, we may modify some views we already hold, but we are more likely to find in books merely a confirmation of what is in our minds already: as in a love affair it is our own features that we see reflected flatteringly back. But in childhood all books are books of divination, telling us about the future, and like the fortune-teller who sees a long journey in the cards or death by water they influence the future. I suppose that is why books excited us so much.”

I have been asked to review books for Publishers Weekly. The editor asked me give him an idea about what I liked to read. This is what I wrote:

I read mysteries for publishers when I was in New York…and for Book of the Month club I read things that didn’t fit into easy categories (a book on Masai warriors) and artist’s biographies (I had studied art history at university) and, of course, mysteries.

However, a wander through the books on my shelves reveals that my favorite novelists are Nabokov (the first chapter of Lolita is pure poetry), John Updike, William Boyd (except for his James Bond pastiche), Louis de Bernieres (although sometimes the narrative in his books becomes untethered and floats away), Peter DeVries (he makes me laugh out loud). Of course most of these authors are dead. But they have styles I enjoy reading….they play with words and still deliver emotional punch. I will also confess to reading Allison Lurie and Anne Tyler, although they are not displayed on my shelves. They are secret “girly” reading.

I like showbiz biographies, I studied enology, viticulture and wine tasting and have written about wine for closing in on 30 years….so I can assess wine books.

I don’t like those big fat Japanese books – nor do I like those slim, slight Japanese books, where everyone is just soooo sensitive. I don’t like books that pump up their page count by hammering in slabs of Googled “history” and “science”. I am beginning to find the Mystery writers who pump out one big fat book after another, tiresome. I am sure they are nice people but I want to shake them and say firmly: Stop repeating the same story, do something else!

On my bedside table at the moment: Michael Caine’s Autobiography The Elephant to Hollywood, Le Carre’s The Tailor of Panama, Elmore Leonard’s Djibouti and The Name of the Rose. I will read anything if it is nicely written.

First, the Books by Friend’s Department:Cathy Huyghe’s memoir Hungry For Wine: Seeing the World through the Lens of a Wine Glass (www.provisionspress.com/hungry-for-wine/) is a collection of very personal essays that plot her course from amateur blogger to professional wine writer. Publisher: Provisions Press

Claudia Farina’s entertaining novel is called Sull’Onda: Intrecci d’amore e di viaggio (Riding the Wave: entwinings of love and travel – this is how I would translate it). More about the book in the October 7 diary entry) Publisher: Delmiglio (www.delmiglio.it

George Truby reveals his love affair with the world’s most popular sparkling wine in: Campagne Undressed: An Expert Bares All.

25 October Lunch at the Gepperia We had lunch with the gang (Eleonella & Claudio, Stephania & Ugo and Silvio at the home of Geppi and Germania. Germana’s cooking, as always, was simply wonderful. We brought a 2008 Mille e Una Notte from Donnafugata. (www.donnafugata.it/ ) At first Geppi was skeptical that a 2008 would still be drinkable – ah, did I tell you that no one in the group works in the wine trade? They were all amazed at the elegance of its fresh, frim fruit. We also brought a sweet Fior d’Arancia from Quota 101 (www.quota101.com ) This too was a hit. The nose, as you might guess, was very forward and inviting. On the label of the wine the producers list a musical accompaniment – nice touch. For this wine the producers chose: Blackbird by the Beatles. Here is a link to Blackbird. It is not the slickest version but it is Young Paul… (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3sYgtIzqXo )

21 October Good bye to Gianni Burato, artist and Illustrator & The Colli Euganei MoscatoGianni Burato was a handsome man, kind and witty. We went to his not-exactly-funeral today in a reception room at the cemetery. His casket sat in the center of the room, a case of wine placed at the foot of it. Some of his many political cartoons and illustrations were projected on the wall. (I laughed out loud twice at his wit.) The music was intelligent rock and roll. As we left Jimi Hendricks was singing: “There must be some kinda way outta here…” (The Watchtower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLV4_xaYynY ) His beloved wife was brave and tried to keep smiling, as Gianni had wanted.

We take the train to Vicenza and Susan H. picks us up and we start our adventure in the Colli Euganie. I love the sunsets in this zone. Then it got very dark…no city lights…no village lights, a few farm house lights. We arrive at the Quota 101 winery for a very interesting tasting of dry Moscatos from various Italian regions, including Quota 101’s very fragrant 2014 dry Moscato Fior d’Arancio. This wine and Lo Triolet – Marco Martin Muscat Petit Grain 2014 from Valle d’Aosta were my top two wines.

We tasted the wines with food prepared by Mattia Barbieri of the Enoteca Centrale. (www.enotecacentrale.it/giovedegusta )

I was a tad skeptical at the beginning. I thought the intensity of the fragrance would make matching difficult. I was wrong: the pairings worked wonderfully well. Particularly nice were the carpaccio of cod and the baccalà mantecato. The photo is of Susan enjoying her vittles.

18 October Lunch at the Carroarmato with Sherlockians and Sommeliers from AmericaStanley and I meet a nice Italian woman (who is doing a thesis on Sherlock Holmes and Food) and her thesis advisor, a big Sherlock Holmes fan. They wanted to buy copies of Bacchus at Baker Street (cover by Gianni Burato) and talk about The Great Detective’s eating habits, among other things. We arrived at the Carroarmato at around 11 am and were later joined by Michael and his troop of American wine buyers and sommeliers who are in town (guests of the Soave Consortium) for the Osteria event, and to meet and taste Soaves and Durellos. We all sat down to lunch together – well, Stanley went racing around after Annalisa and Lara and helping waiters deliver plates of meat to other tables.

14 October The Annual Canova Sculpture Prize-givingGuerrieri Rizzardi (www.guerrieri-rizzardi.it) hosted the annual Antonio Canova sculpture competition, which offers young Italian artists an opportunity for international exposure. Works by the finalists were displayed at Villa Rizzardi, which is surrounded by a stunning garden designed by 18th century architect Luigi Trezza (www.pojega.it).
The financial and organizational support provided by the Guerrieri Rizzardi wine company is to be commended. This year’s winner is Giulia Berra, from the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Brera, Milano.

13 October In Milan for another stomp around Expo in the rain with a bus-load of Soave-ites.

10 October Off to Milan for the The Ulitimate Wine Guide/Tasting
In Milan for the launch of Daniele Cernilli’s Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine 2016. Scores of Italy’s top producers were there showing their award-winning wines. Among my favorites was Vintage Tunina from Jermann. I still remember the first time I tasted this wine over twenty years ago. I was at the International Wine Challenge in London back in the days when this Mega-tasting was organized by Robert Joseph and Charles Metcalf.

I can still see Robert racing across the airplane-hanger-sized venue toward me, holding a glass of white wine aloft. I took in the glint in his eye and thought: “He’s going to try to trick me. He knows I specialize in Italian wines, so the wine is likely to be Italian. It is also likely to be a complicated blend – not a simple two or three grape jobbie. There are only two wines at this Mega-tasting that fit that profile.” He handed the glass to me with a flourish, I casually sniffed and, without tasting it, said: “Vintage Tunina”. The look of surprise on his face remains bright in my memory to this day.

As Sherlock Holmes said in The Adventure of the Dancing Men: “It is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. After doing so, one may produce a startling effect.”

8 October Opera on Ice
Yes, a rink was set up in the 1st Century Roman Arena in Verona’s main square for a stupendous show that included Olympic Gold Medal winners and superb opera and pop singers (Ellie Goulding). My favorite performer was Baritone Palle Knudson, who happily played along with the bizarre but still entertaining production.

7 October Claudia Farina’s book launchCLAUDIA SIGNING Claudia Farina’s novel is called Sull’Onda: Intrecci d’amore e di viaggio (Riding the Wave: entwinings of love and travel, is how I would translate it). The event takes place at Scapin’s (Via Armando Diza, 20, near the Ponte della Vittoria) and was hosted by the Veneto Chapter of Slow Food. Claudia, who has had a life filled with adventure and travel working as a reporter, decided that she had reached the point in her life when she was ready to write a novel. The book is funny and serious by turns, with chapters set in Sri Lanka, Egypt, Libia, Kenya, Sicily and Mantua, among many other locations. “This book is a collection of places that few have seen,” says Claudia. “Some of them no longer exist.” Be prepared for love, a bit of sex and insights into other cultures.

4 through 6 Puglian “Educational” trip For visits to great wine producers and restaurants whiz down to my June diary. To hear about some very nice Masserias/agriturismos, read on.

A Lesson: A masseria is a fortified farmstead. Many have now been renovated to become wonderful oases of calm and tranquility for travelers. They offer all the modern conveniences in a rural setting, surrounded by gardens, orchards, vineyards and olive groves.

The small group consists of Tour Operators, 2 Journalists and a Blogger, who says he hates to write.

I arrive at the Agriturismo Sant’Andrea (www.agriturismocastellaneta.it). I speak to the owners and tell them that my husband had looked them up on Trip Advisor, which said that they had one of the best restaurants in the area. “Here’s the chef,” they say, presenting a kindly, smiling woman, who also happens to be their mother. The family is extremely obliging and generous.

I sit next to Veronika (an Austrian journalist who lives in Berlin) on our first long bus ride. I mention the wonderful and poetic film Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin), directed by Wim Wenders. Veronika tells me that she was fortunate enough to attend the 25 anniversary showing of the film, at which Wim Wenders, Bruno Ganz (the protagonist) and Peter Handke (one of the writers), spoke about the making of the movie. Our mutual love for this film leads to us becoming bus-buddies.

We visit a very nice bakery (www.panificiocostantino.it) and some of us get to push the dough around. I go outside and sit on the low wall in front of the shop. Two guys are eating sandwiches and drinking beer at small tables. The town dog comes over to me and I gently massage his temples and get the benefit of watching his expression of Doggie Bliss.

Lunch at the Agriturismo Sierro Lo Greco (www.sierro.it) After lunch the owner shows us where he makes his essential oils. The conversation devolves into a series of acronyms (an acronym is a word formed from the first letters of each one of the words in a phrase. Example NATO.) These acronyms referred to local, regional and European political funding organizations, and the use of them makes conversation incomprehensible to a person who has no interest in local project funding. I go outside to look at the animals – ducks, donkeys, dogs…

On to Matera.Lesson: Matera is in the region of Basilicata. We have come to see the town’s historic center, known as “I Sassi”. This area traces its origins to a prehistoric troglodyte settlement and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We meet up with our local guide, Nicola Taddonino (www.matera2019tour.it), a man who is passionate about his city and its history. Unfortunately we have arrived too late to visit his favorite church but he quickly finds another to round out our very interesting two-hour tour.

We drive back to the Agriturismo. We have 30 minutes to change and get back to the bus to go to dinner. We have been from 40 minutes to an hour and a half late for every stop listed on the schedule. As it will be close to 9 by the time we get to the restaurant. The listed return time is 10 P.M. . A more realistic return time will probably be 12:30. I go to Our Keeper and tell him that I think I will skip dinner and remain here. At around 12:30 the dogs begin to bark, alerting me to the fact that the tour bus is returning. I happily drift back to sleep.

The next morning, my bus friends turn up at breakfast looking exactly like people who ate too much at a late three-hour dinner and now fully realize that they must spend a grueling day touring. They all agree, however, that I missed some fine food at Tenuta Orsanese – Ginosa Marina (www.tenutaorsanese.it ). We stow our luggage in the bus and set off for Round Two of this adventure.

We visit two large cooperative wineries, tasting Primitivo at each one. (If you want to know more about Primitivo and the Manduria production zone, whiz down to my June diary.)

At our next destination we stand in the dusty parking lot while the very nice owner of the olive mill talks and talks with great enthusiasm. Some of us take shelter from the sun in the shadow of the bus, others hunker down to relieve stress on our knees. As he talks I look across the road at a fine ancient olive tree and the grove behind it. I think: Why can’t we be having this long talk over there – in the shade?

We go to the Relais di Terre di Terre (www.terrediterre.it ) A lovely place, with a large pool and a grassy play area for children. It is 7 kilometres from the beach. We take a look at the stylishly decorated rooms. The soap, and moisture lotion in the rooms is based on olive oil.

We go to another winery and tour the very nice farming equipment museum. At the inevitable tasting I ask if we can taste a sparkling wine. I ask this because it is closing in on 5 pm, everyone is exhausted and droopy. A sparkling wine is what is needed to get us back in a jovial mood. The sommelier very kindly pours a glass of rosé…then we must move on to the Primitivo.

Back in the bus, we ask politely if we can skip the visit to the 17-hectare archeological park and go to the Masseria. “The visit will only take 10 minutes,” says the Promotion Board Lady.

Veronika turns to me and says. “But their 10 minutes is usually 40 minutes”. As it turned out that was much too conservative an estimate.

We take a little tour. Then Our Keeper pulls up in his car. He has taken one of our group back to a winery where she had left her notebook. She is willing to forgo a visit, Our Keeper is not. They enter the park.

Francesca, an intelligent and observant woman who owns Chic and Unique Tours (www.chicanduniquetours.com), Veronika and I sit down on a bench and watch a small pack of adolescent boys kick a soccer ball around. German Chris slouches on an adjacent bench.

“Well, at least it isn’t raining,” says Francesca, who lives in London.

Time passes. Finally the two Promotional Board Ladies and Our Keeper emerge. They stop to chat. Francesca calls Our Keeper’s name several times. He eventually glances our way. “Perhaps we can go now,” she says. “No,” he replies. “We’ve got time.”

In stunned silence we settle back on the bench.

“One of the things I have learned from doing the Yoga tours is to live in the moment,” says Francesca. “Problems are in the Past and in the Future, not in the Present.”

We meditate on this while the adolescent boys play on under a late afternoon sky. Ever so slowly the sky darkens toward dusk. When dusk becomes gloom, the boys put the ball away and head home for dinner. We meditate some more. At last the Promotional Board Ladies and Our Keeper have exhausted every possible thread of their conversation and allow us to board the bus.

We arrive in pitch blackness at Masseria Pepe (www.masseriapepemaruggio.it). “Oh, it is such a pity that you didn’t arrive sooner so you could see the animals,” says our hostess. “Yes, it is,” I reply.

Veronika and I love the romantic and atmospheric use of lighting on the long veranda and around the pool. Again, room décor is an exhilarating blend of rustic and elegant and – once again – the owners and staff are exceptionally kind and helpful.

At dinner – a much appreciated buffet – Our Keeper asked us if we had any suggestions for improving future Educational trips. We did.

3 October The 34th Annual Masi Prize
As always this was an entertaining and thought-provoking affair. It took place at the Verona Philharmonic Theatre, a lovely little jewel box of a venue: crystal chandeliers and gold-leaf abound. Awards were presented to physicist Carlo Rovelli Physiscist, singer Elisa, Michelin-starred chef Massimiliano Alajymo, top-dog sommelier Giuseppe Martinelli and The Italian Navy in the person of Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi.

27 September New book to review for Publishers Weekly.

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! (This is not the name of a book, rather it is an expression of delight cadged from Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky. )

26 September The Colli Euganei At ExpoI arrive on time to give my speech. The host of the event starts his introduction of me. This consists of reciting the CV of the person I am here to fill-in for and a lament on how sorry he was that she isn’t going to be here. And then he basically says: so, here’s Patricia …and mispronounces my last name.
Fortunately my fan club in the front row (thanks Michael and Marina) correct him.

I smile thinking: I didn’t need to get up at five o’clock in order to get to this event on time. I didn’t need to spend half a day writing a speech for this event. I could have spent the time so much more productively writing my Eco interview; or watching groovy, psychedelic reruns of Ironside (the Raymond Burr series); or sleeping.

Fortunately, I have chosen as my topic the Colli Euganei zone, so at least I am able to give them a plug. I really and truly love the Colli Euganei and the nice – if staid – people who live there…and the wine…and the food…and the landscape…and the…well, I’ll stop now.

FOR ITALIAN READERS: Staid means of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious.

TIP FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS: Introduce the person who had the courtesy to show up at your event rather than the one you wish had been there.

There were so many people crammed into Expo, with long lines for every restaurant, kiosk and pavilion, that we decided to attend the lunch organized in conjunction with the event at which I participated. The food was provided by Peck (www.peck.it), executive chef Matteo Vigotti. Every dish was perfectly matched with wines provided by 7 Italian celebrities, among them Al Bano, a venerable singer who graciously belted out snatches of his hits a cappella when asked to do so.

23 September Corrado BenedettiOur pal Maria Grazia picks us up and we head out to Corrado Benedetti Salumi e Formaggio Dalla Lessinia (www.corradobenedetti.it) , a deli that makes its own superb cheeses and salamis. We, and around 8 others, are here to take part in a hands-on cooking demonstration. First we don our white paper coats, shoe-covers and hair nets and shuffle through the new salami-making facility. (I visited the cheese-making building on my last visit.) The work areas are elegantly designed. While you expect pristine conditions, you don’t necessarily expect long low windows that provide stunning views of the nearby valley. Details of this kind make for a happier work environment. No wonder their employees stay with them for decades.

22 September Passport and Tony HillermanI go to Milan to renew my passport. I, of course, bring a book to read for the train journey and the waiting around that is bound to occur. When I go up to the window to get my receipt, I put People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman down on the counter and the lady behind the bullet proof glass says: “Oh, my aunt lived next door to him.” I showed her the inscription he had made to me on the title page. We then went on to reminisce about what a very nice man he was. Any of you who have never read Tony Hillerman, I urge you to do so. He has interesting protagonists, loads of Indian/Native American lore and good pacing. I have decided to reread them all.

I return home to find that an Italian journalist has asked me to come to Expo in Milan to give a speech on Saturday morning about what Italian wine zones might be part of a modern Grand Tour of Italy. I will be filling in for someone who has been forced to cancel at the last minute. I agree only because the last time Michael and I went to Expo we spent the entire day in our pal Aldo L.’s wake, which means we tasted Veneto wine and ate Veneto food. This time we want to visit some of the other countries who are participating.

Franco Zanovello (whose wine companies are Ca’Lustra and ZanovellaSicilia)comes to whisk us to the Colli Euganei for the presentation of my new book, The Venetian Hills: A Connoisseur’s Companion to the Colli Euganei. We have a full house at the Biblioteca Civica in Albano, around 55 people. Some of them bought books, all of them were very polite and pleasant.

21 September Patricia and the ProfessorI go to interview Umberto Eco for Publishers Weekly. Here is a photo of the Professor showing me a 500 year old book in the incunabula room of his library. Every question I asked him had from 4 to 7 responses, all of them tangentially related. The interview will be difficult to write but it was fascinating to experience.Once I have finished my article for PW, I will put up some quotes.

20 September Sparkling Menu at Villa, my favorite Franciacorta ProducerAlessandra Piubello (I love her last name – it always reminds me of a Bond Girl – Sandy More-beautiful) drives us to the Villa estate (www.villafranciacorta.it)in Franciacorta for the final round of the Sparkling Menu event. We, along with scores of others, are here to taste the 5 top dishes selected to pair with Villa’s versatile Cuvette Brut, a sparkling wine made from Chardonny (85%)and Pinot Nero (15%).

The food and hospitality is superb. First, I will tell you my favorites as far as food/wine paring is concerned. First, for me, was the imaginatively presented dish of Pancetta and various potatoes from the chef at Metamorphosis. The restaurant is located in Lugano, Switzerland. (You can find info about it on the Facebook page and on Trip Advisor).

Coming a close second for me was a beet risotto from the Brescia restaurant Castello Malvezzi. (www.castellomalvezzi.com) I believe that had the rice been cooked a tad longer, it would have been a perfect accompaniment.

The actual winner of the evening was prepared by the friendly and enthusiastic Chef from Aqua Crua in Barbarano Vicentino (www.aquacrua.it. ) His dish was excellent, it just didn’t seem (to me) to go with the wine quite as well as a couple of others.
The other two participants also received high-marks. They are Castello di Casiaglio (in Erba, www.hotelcastellodicasiglio.it) and San Rocco (in Verteneglio, Istria – www.san-rocco.hr/it).

The Bianchi family, who own Villa, kindly let me stay in one of their guest apartments so that I would not have to leave quite so early in the morning in order to make the train to Milan for my interview with Umberto Eco. What nice people they are!

September 17 My first book review
I have received my first book to review: Marco Vichi, Death in Florence. Hip, hip, hip hooray. Fortunately I like the book very much, so writing the review will be easy.

September 15 What I like to ReadI have been asked to review books for Publishers Weekly. The editor asked me give him an idea about what I liked to read. This is what I wrote:

I read mysteries for publishers when I was in New York…and for Book of the Month club I read things that didn’t fit into easy categories (a book on Masai warriors) and artist’s biographies (I had studied art history at university) and, of course, mysteries.

However, a wander through the books on my shelves reveals that my favorite novelists are Nabokov (the first chapter of Lolita is pure poetry), John Updike, William Boyd (except for his James Bond pastiche), Louis de Bernieres (although sometimes the narrative in his books becomes untethered and floats away), Peter DeVries (he makes me laugh out loud). Of course most of these authors are dead. But they have styles I enjoy reading….they play with words and still deliver emotional punch. I will also confess to reading Allison Lurie and Anne Tyler, although they are not displayed on my shelves. They are secret “girly” reading.

I like showbiz biographies, I studied enology, viticulture and wine tasting and have written about wine for closing in on 30 years….so I can assess wine books.

I don’t like those big fat Japanese books – nor do I like those slim, slight Japanese books, where everyone is just soooo sensitive. I don’t like books that pump up their page count by hammering in slabs of Googled “history” and “science”. I am beginning to find the Mystery writers who pump out one big fat book after another, tiresome. I am sure they are nice people but I want to shake them and say firmly: Stop repeating the same story, do something else!

On my bedside table at the moment: Michael Caine’s Autobiography The Elephant to Hollywood, Le Carre’s The Tailor of Panama, Elmore Leonard’s Djibouti and The Name of the Rose.

I will read anything if it is nicely written.

12 September The Film Festival.We went to the Venice film Festival yesterday (as we do every year). I love the Lido. If someone put a gun to my head and said: You must live in Venice…I would opt for the Lido. It was incredible….great weather and the lovely white beach was practically empty.

We saw three excellent films – each of them harrowing in its own way. About an hour into the film about a girl trapped in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai during a terrorist attack. I found myself thinking: Where is Bruce Willis when you really need him?

September 3rd George and ToniMy old pal George T. and his granddaughter Toni came from New Zealand for an Italian vacation and stopped to visit me in Verona. Some 20 years ago George was head sommelier at Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He came to visit us then and suggested that Michael and I come to work for him there. He tried to lure us with mentions of 5000 dollar tips. Evidently these tips do not come from high-rollers. Rather they come from the wives and girlfriends who are handed a wadges of money and told to amuse themselves while the gamblers sweat away at the gaming tables. “In two years you can come back to Verona with enough money to buy an apartment,” said George. We considered it for a bit, then realized that while George, with his hooded eyes, soft voice and flirtatious manner, was indeed pulling down the 5000 dollar tips…Michael and I might not fare so well with ladies on the loose.